I'm Not! Are You Afraid To Travel?

I'm with you, not afraid to travel based on recent events. I figure just getting out of bed every morning is a crap shoot, and you can't alter fate.

I am taking my parents to Paris for 9 nights this summer. Flights are booked. Hotel is booked. We have no intention of changing our travel plans due to the terrorist attack today.

Perhaps the world's greatest traveller, Harry Franck, wrote about this around 100 years ago. He complained that nothing ever happened when he was in a place. After he left, all hell might break loose, much to his (mock ?) dismay.

We fly into Paris and are headed to the Loire Valley in March can't wait.

Today's killings in Paris do not change my travel plans. In fact it makes me want to go back to Paris even more.

Freedom-loving people cannot and should not be frightened by the acts of terrorists. We will go on traveling and living and enjoying, and trying to make the world better by our small acts.

I'm not scared to travel after today's event. I have travel plans for the spring/early summer, and those will not be changed because of this.

I have a limited amount of time between now and my old age to see many things around the world that I want to see. I am actually more afraid of medical/physical disabilities that seem to be creeping up on me than I am threats of the type that happened in Paris. I will go wherever I want to go. Sooner or later, your number's up, no matter where you are.

Had this been the day on our upcoming April trip where we have the Eurostar to Nord and then walk to either Lazare or Montparnasse to get to Bayuex (tickets not yet on sale, not sure which station it will be) then we would have been almost in the middle of this. What can you do? Stay home? Several years back,our daughter was driving from our house down Broad Street to her classes at Temple U, and was two minutes ahead of a brutal shooting at a Dunkin' Donuts 1 1/2 miles from our house. Last year I could easily have been walking on the street in the Center of Philadelphia where a building being demoed collapsed onto the street and the Salvation Army store next door, killing several. Something can happen anywhere. This is not what makes Paris "intimidating."

We were in Paris in May and there were 4 armed soldiers walking around outside of Notre Dame. We knew why they were there, but just kept an eye on our surroundings and went about our visit. You never know when an event will unfold, but hope when/if it does you won't be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think that we are all aware that a terrorist attack like the one in Paris could happen anywhere in the Western world at any time. It is, unfortunately, a 21st century fact of life. I am in the process of planning our next European trip, so the answer to Tony's question is a resounding 'No'.

How can I be scared?! I live in the Seattle area and every day somebody is shot here. And this is by far not the worst area in the US. It will be breaking news if some day nobody is shot. According to statistics I should feel in Paris much much safer than here.

I say this with all respect (and a bit of humor).

Afraid to travel? I have to admit world news does make me pause. Afraid to stay home? Yes. My point being that we have got to live our lives and do what we want to do (within reason).

When we travel, I seriously tell family and friends that if something happens to us, open a bottle of champagne and celebrate that we took another trip. If something happens to us en route, be a bit sad that we didn't get to complete the trip.......but, if something happens on the way home, be glad we at least squeezed in one more great experience and do a double toast!!!!

Tony, each of us has to make our own determination, but I'm with you..... I'd take the trip (unless all Hell truly breaks loose there between now and your departure date).....there are too many people doing bad things with guns here in the US.

Just today I was reading in the WSJ about attacks at popular tourist sites in Istanbul. Yesterday there was an article about how some say conditions are not really improving in Cairo. Then the recent tragedy in Australia. Cops randomly killed in NYC. It is all bad. But, when your and my time comes, all we will have is the experiences (and memories thereof) we have collected............here in the US or on trips to see the rest of the world. Life is short....oh so very short.....we only have once chance at it! Work that bucket list!

@Margaret--you hit the nail on the head, for me--I started travelling 4 years ago after a painful break-up and it quickly became the one thing I completely enjoyed, from the planning to the actual trip, the 2 weeks of the year that made the other 50 bearable. I travel alone and this worries my friends and family, so I always remind them that if anything unfortunate should happen to me, to remember that I was doing something I truly love.

I have never been afraid to travel. I missed the Bologna train station bombing in the 80s by a couple if days. But I lived in Miami most of my life, so...

Not changing a thing. I have plans for a week's stay in Istanbul in late March with my son. We have no intentions of changing them. Or for any of the other wonderful journeys I have planned for the rest of 2015.

Speaking as someone who has been shot at overseas (a long time ago on a planet far far away), I can suggest you're not really having the full overseas travel experience until they're shooting at you.
:)

Yes Kent, but it is much more likely that it would happen to you here and not overseas (unless, of course, you are in a war zone).

Of course not. I think it's natural to take pause and reflect, but ultimately rational thought takes over and makes all the points already suggested, and as a result, you carry on. I would also think that living life to its fullest (cheesy, I know) is the way to go when folks try to bully and intimate through the acts that occurred today.

The thought of being lost in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean is a bigger fear for me!

My then boyfriend was shot on a new years trip to New Orleans back in 1984. It made him "see the light". We celebrate our 30th anniversary this year. Often good things come out of bad circumstances.

My first trip abroad was in 2005, a 21 day tour beginning in London. I was there, riding the tube on 7/7. Thankfully I was not hurt in the bombings. We continued our tour, I've been back to Europe once since then, and am hoping to go again soon. I'm of the school of thought that if it's your time to go, it's your time to go...that could be here at home or somewhere else. It's not going to stop me from doing what I want to do.

Tony,

My answer is "NO", the events in Paris today wouldn't change my travel plans in the least. Today's attack was a specifically targeted and while it's always possible to be "in the wrong place at the wrong time", the same could be true in any city. I typically check the government travel warnings before trips and wouldn't go anywhere that they advised against, but for western Europe that's never been a problem.

No claims at toughness, but all of these stories did remind me of my one and only experience of being near gun violence (https://reclaimingjournal.com/sites/default/files/journal-article-pdfs/01_1_Long.pdf). Like Tony said, random acts of violence are more likely to occur where you live and work (and go to school). So, not only should travel plans continue, but perhaps take more advantage of what everyday life has to offer.

One of my trips this year is to France and Portugal. No plans to change. As I have posted on my little travel/photo website:

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

My hopes for safety for all of our French friends and those traveling in France. And No it would not stop me from going there!

I, too, am unafraid to travel. I consider it a bigger personal tragedy to avoid doing enjoyable things because of fear. Do I have concerns? Yes. Do they stop me from going where I want to go? No. Anything can happen at any time - aneurysm, stroke, previously undiscovered fatal heart problem - so we need to make the most of life and do things that make us happy. As a previous poster mentioned, I'm more worried about the development of some recent health problems and how they might affect my future trip, than about terrorism or anything else.

Terrorists usually do not target random tourists. They usually diligently plan to attack specific individuals (or places) that keep relatively predictable, observable schedules. So unless a specific location is threatened, tourists usually shouldn't have much to worry about.

Honestly if someone sent me a ticket to go to Paris today.. I would go.. in fact , now more then ever. Watching the news last night.. I wished I was there ,, in the crowds.. showing support and mourning for those slaughtered by radical idiots.

The perception of risk is more powerful than common sense among many people. I think this is one of the reasons why RS promotes travel as a political act - it gives you a sense of proportion and relative risk. Clearly the actual risk of getting shot is greater here in the US.

If anything I'm probably safer traveling. I work in downtown DC. Apart from the nightly stabbings and shootings (I don't come here at night much), we've got to be one of the main targets for any terrorist plot. There is absolutely nothing that might occur in Paris, Berlin, London, Istanbul, Rome, etc. that isn't at least as likely to happen here.

If you don't count North Korean anti-aircraft batteries, I've only had a gun pointed at me in Sacramento and Mexico (fortunately never fired on in any of those cases).

stan,

RS or no, I still wouldn't travel in Iran wearing a "Death to Khamenei" t-shirt.

"Paris is always a good idea," Sabrina.

I will still travel. But I think if I had been in Paris this week my plans on what to do would have changed. After 9/11 when I was in Scotland on a trip, my first instinct was to just sit and watch the BBC. But in that case the terror was an ocean away and so by mid-day of 9/12 I headed out to do some toeing. Frankly, I needed the distraction. But if I had been in NYC obviously I would have been in my hotel and trying to find local acqaintences.

Pam

I have been watching a ton of coverage.. and frankly at this point both the States and Uk are on high alert too.. copycat events may happen.. so really I guess I would stay away from large crowds around political monuments myself in any of those countries. '
I have to say.. Americans should perhaps be a bit more alarmed.. it does seem Americans are mentioned more then I would be comfortable hearing.. if I was American.
BTW I don't mean alarmed about going to Paris... I mean at home in America.

My sentiments too. If I were over there now, I would be in one of those crowds in Paris, ie, standing as an American in that crowd amongst les français at the Place de la Republique.

I'll be back in Paris all right, not just yet.

Why should Americans be afraid to travel within their country anymore than they should Paris or all of France? Americans and the United States are threatened on an almost daily basis, so if someone be it an American or Canadian is afraid to travel in the U.S. after an incident or a threat then your plans to travel have changed. Makes me wonder if Canadians should have been afraid to travel within their country this past October after the incidents in Quebec and Ottawa where two soldiers were run over, one was killed and then the attack on Parliament two days later where a second soldier died, I hope not. Should Australians be afreaid to walk into a chocolate store? My point is a terrorist attack can happen anywhere anytime, Americans aren't the only ones being targeted or mentioned as potential targets. So why is America even being mentioned in this thread? And sometimes while reading these threads I feel like I'm in a Geico commercial whenever someone mentions they have a better chance of being shot in the their own American city than Paris or anywhere else in Europe, "everybody knows that". It makes it sound like terrorism events in Paris are some type of anomaly whereas they are part of our world today. But more importantly I feel it diminishes what these people died for, their rights of freedom of the press, one of our many rights that some want to take away from us with threats or violence. A street thug separating me from my money or cell phone affects only me, whereas someone trying to take away freedom of the press by intimidation and murder affects the entire world, thank goodness some are too strong for that. So in the end this isn't about America, it's about every freedom loving person in every freedom loving country of the world.

I'm going to Paris in June. I can't wait. These events have saddened me. It's my favorite city in the world.

barry.. er duh.. that WAS my point.. you didn't get it huh.. lol..

And sorry.. the guy who shot the solider in Ottawa was one single mentally ill fellow.. it wasn't a political act really.. the man was diagnosed as ill.

As for why "Americans " were mentioned.. because the murderers in this case mentioned hating them and wanting to kill them.. duh. Have you watched much coverage.. these terrorists hated Jews, Americans and anyone not Muslim ( although the policeman they shot in the head was in fact a muslim.. but not part of their nutcase fanatically type of Islam, just like a "regular" Christian is not more like that Christian sect that pickets funerals with hate signs.. fanatics in any religion I guess)

"Americans should perhaps be a bit more alarmed.. it does seem Americans are mentioned more then I would be comfortable hearing.. if I was American. BTW I don't mean alarmed about going to Paris... I mean at home in America." Got the memo and have revised my risk avoidance list...downgraded drunk drivers and a very large mountain lion lurking about the neighborhood to #2 and #3 respectively and added terrorism as #1.

Pat, I asked a question, though a rhetorical one. And though it is against board policy to respond to specific posts I'm responding to yours because you're latest post comes across as condescending, insulting and downright rude by using a three letter word not once, but twice, and when that is done anything you say is lost because of it. If you can't respond in a civil manner can you please not respond at all. For some reason you took my post personally and didn't get what said. That is everyone, they being American, Canadian, French, German etc. should be alert, sure, Americans are high on quite a few hit lists but it's nothing new and we're used to it. If anything attacks such as these reminds us to be ever vigilant, it's so easy to become complaisant, always be aware of your surroundings, just because someone isn't an American isn't going to save them, guns and bombs don't discriminate. And yes, the person in Ottawa was mentally ill, but he killed nonetheless and I'm sure he altered how some people think and travel.

"Guns and bombs don't discriminate." How true, if you happen to be within range. If that market at Porte de Vincennes had at the time a few Chinese tourists visiting the place, they too would have been in danger by the killer.

Condolences to France, salty tears for Paris.
I am no more afraid to travel than I am to stay home.
Ann, New York City

In 1985 I was standing in line at the San Francisco airport waiting to board for Frankfort. Suddenly a mic was thrust in my face by the local news station, asking me how I felt about sky marshalls. That was the first I had heard of the bombing of the Frankfort Airport, which happened 3 hours earlier. I said, " By the time I get to Frankfort, that will probably be the safest place on the planet."
Let's not let the terrorists win.

"Let's not let the terrorists win"

I took this statement from kats's post as more of an encouragement for the world. It did not, it seems to me, attempt to define what "win" means.

"The terrorists ALWAYS win"

This is a pretty subjective statement in my view. I imagine that when the repercussions from events this week end-if they ever do-that there will be a whole lot more than seventeen terrorists dead as a result of the Charlie Hebdo and kosher market attacks. The resources cited as used are part of the (current) price of relative safety, and I don't see where it really equates to winning for it to require lots of armed response and resources. Security forces exist in part because we expect some of this; it's in the budget and the budget will get bigger.

The large gatherings and rallies over the last few days, not to mention a million-plus marchers' show of resolve today, start immediately to ameliorate whatever gains extremists thought they had won. They also serve to immediately focus attention on the need to address long standing problems in France and elsewhere, and that's not good for recruiting, that's not a win for the bad guys.

Not afraid to travel.

I would have loved to be in Paris today for the march and gatherings. That would have been better than any museum or tourist sight visit.

The huge turn out today in Paris and elsewhere, Caen, Nantes, Toulouse, etc shows the extremists did not win. If they had counted on apathy, they saw the masses in sheer numbers united against them instead. Solidarity and unity among the various segments of French prevailed.

Another one who would have been standing somewhere between Place de la Republique and de la Nation today. A moment in history.

As a side note: I do think it wise to allow more time for security, customs and immigration checks at places which require them: especially airports and other transport centers. For instance, I'd be cautious of prepurchasing arrival-day train tickets which may not allow enough time for a flight delay (always a caution regardless), slower immigration queues, etc.

I have to respectfully disagree with you Phil. Changing your actions, such as not flying, or not traveling, or not going to places that are likely to be terrorists targets - that's letting the terrorists win. Deploying additional security for people continuing to go about their business as usual is not letting the terrorists win. Just because terrorists were able to destroy some lives by their evil actions and certainly got everybody's attention, does not mean they win. If their intent was to leave France (and indeed all of the West) quaking in their boots for fear, then they definitely did not win.

Phil, please lighten up. This is all highly subjective and a lot of thoughts and emotions play into people's opinions and what they have to say. To say one is naive and that we "continue to have problems" (..agreeing with you) and especially to suggest any disrespect to the victims, is over the top.

I think I'm more afraid of NOT living my life, than to have "what-if" moments at the end. I take precautions, as everyone should, but I don't fear fearful of leaving my "comfort zone". Having said that, I probably would not travel to certain places (Afghanistan, Syria, etc..), and they are easily left out with so many other places to explore. I grew up in a town without a stop sign, and I have a LOT to make up for! If I stay home then the terrorists win. Not going to happen!

Both my sister and my mother asked me after last week if we were still going to Europe in May (Rome, Venice & Paris) and that we should think about going somewhere else. I told them of course we're still going. I'm not afraid at all to visit Paris. Its my favorite city. I was deeply saddened by the senseless killings there last week but my heart belongs in Paris and I will return.

Come to Europe, come to France. The terrorists will never win. I took the tramway to work for the past week, I'll keep on doing so. Although if you want to buy copies of Charlie Hebdo, I'm afraid they're all sold out! (including for me, and I got up early to get one!). Everybody with good intentions is welcome here.

Thanks Ian. We are all upset and sorry for what happened in Paris, but it WILL NOT stop us from travelling to your great city.

Aaaand...in other news... JG decided that fifty five posts by lots of thoughtful, well meaning people never really needed to happen.

This topic was started because the events in Paris last week probably have made lots of people decide against, or think again, about travelling to Paris right now. According to JG, this is a topic that should not even be on the site. Thank goodness, everyone does not have the same feelings he or she has. When posts are removed by the webmaster, they are removed for a good reason. Several people know, I am going to Paris before long and personally said they would not travel there or anywhere they did not feel was safe. My response was; that nowhere in the world is safe to travel if you have crazy people with no respect for others beliefs in the area you are in. I would not ever let a few of those people stop me from going somewhere I wanted to go. I sure don't agree with JG's comments, and hope that most people that post on this site do not agree. I never start a topic or post to anyone's topic that would upset anyone intentionally.

I am glad the French have plastered the areas with police and military patrols so numerous that one simply can't help seeing them everywhere. Certainly I would not underestimate les français. My trip is in late May, will be in Paris this time too, since I had to miss it the last couple of times.

Was yesterday in Versailles….expected more security, but didn´t see any except two police cars at the entrance and actually it looked more that it was business as usual, daily life back to normal. Well maybe like most you are thinking about what happened last week, but once there, there are so many things that destracts, needs attention, like crossing the busy streets, locking the car or driving safely, enjoying the visit and so on, initial worries move step by step to the background. But also I noticed that everything is so big and what happened was actually at a few tiny places compared to that big city, it than becomes hard to imagine the real threat, you don´t really feel it, so it doens´t make sense to worry.

@ Wil....If two police cars parked at the entrance are what you saw, that amounts to "business as normal" Thanks for the news. Chances are that one could see likewise at Fontainebleau or Les Invalides under normal circumstances. Now, if you were to see groups of CRS or military patrols at the Versailles station, in front of the Chateau, and across the street, in the gardens, etc, then you would know the situation is acute.

Fred - Didn´t see/experienced things that can be regarded as acute. I think there are also “unvisible measures” most visitors will ofcourse not notice and some very low profile. I parked my car at one of the side entrances of the domain to get in, but the gates were closed, so had to walk to the main entrance. After my visit I was thinking that could be one of the measures, not really sure but it can. Further the security check at the entrance is likely more intense (paying more attention to each) than before, so waiting time to get in can be longer. As January is low season for the château and entered the main building in the afternoon there where just a few with me to get through security, so hard to predict how it will be once the season is in full swing.

As far as I can see now that wat is on the radar of the extremists are specific targets and I expect that military patrols or any other form of security there will be visible. Think too that visitors with no urge to be there will be kept away from those places. As tourism for France and ofcourse specific Paris is of high economic importance the gouvernment do everything they can to secure safety, but also not making everybody more worried than necessary. Expect some measures are visible at well-known spots, some low profile and some even not visible. Measures in such away one "can get used to it" (well not the extremists ofcourse!) and that it will be actually “business as normal”.

Walking through the streets of Versailles as it is part of agglomeration Paris you feel being that tiny part of those millions of people in that big city who are more focussed on their daily life. So very hard to imagine that you will be one of those few unlucky people becoming victim of an attack. On the way back home I was focussed not damaging my car in the traffic jams during rush hour, meaning attention is more absorbed by the turmoil of daily little worries.

At last I think it is the responsibility of tour operators to inform their customers about the actual situation as realistic and accurate as possible. From far for most everything looks much worser than it really is, but at the end everybody has to decide for themselves how to deal and what to decide.

I'm afraid of many things.
Travel to Europe is not one of them.

I'm afraid of many things.
Travel to Europe is not one of them.

Just pushing down some spam here.

@ Wil...Thanks for the detailed and interesting observations and analysis, Wil. No doubt the authorities want to give a low profile presence as well as an obvious one, such as one seeing immediately the two police cars. I'm sure the other security presence is more concealed. It has been a few years since I was at Versailles and then my visits there were always in the summer (yes, amidst all the crowds). Hearing how Versailles is now in January, the height of the low season, under these circumstances of max security is interesting and new. I remember clearly in the second half of the 1990s in Paris I saw the CRS and Army patrols almost everywhere, esp at the train stations, ie, in the Gare du Nord area. That was clearly the impression les français wanted to create. There was a bombing in Paris in July 1995. On that day I left Paris Est that morning on a train to Mannheim.

Planning our next trip now Tony. And thank you for your thought provoking thread, that I am late to be posting in....haha. :)

You'll definitely notice increased police and military presence at important sites these next few weeks - French authorities transferred thousands of extra military personnel here to cover sites such as train stations, Eiffel Tower, airports, etc with a noticeably heightened armed presence.